Pocket receptacle



May 7? 192g,

J. w. sa-mms POCKET RECEPTACL Filed July l2, 1927` vNW1-:MOR JWM. wfe.BY

Ufff/1' A, ATTORNEYS.

Patented May' 7, 1929.

UNi'rED STATES 1,711,971 PATENTy OFFICE.

JOHN WILLIAM SCHULZE, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

:POCKET RECEPTACLE.

Application inea my' i2,

It is an object ofthe invention torpro-vide; a protective case forcigarettes which will avoid.

the mutilation or loss of tobacco incurred ple manipulation forconvenient access to the cigarettes, and which when closed maintains thecigarettes in proper condition as regards dryness or moisture.

Another object is toprovide a case of the type mentioned to securelyretain .the paper pack containing the cigarettes, and into which suchpack may be readily inserted without injury to the contents thereof.

Other objects will be in part obvious and 4in part pointed outhereinafter.-

shown one or more of various possible einbodiineiits of the severalfeatures of this invention, 4

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the case in open position,

Fig. 2 is a perspective View showing the closed case,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view indicating a modified form of cigarettepack, especially suitable for use with my case,

Fig. 4 is a view of the case in longitudinal cross-section and on alarger scale of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2,and;

Fig. 6 is aperspective view showing a corner detail of the case. y

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown a metal case, the interiorof which has preferably substantially the diniensionsof the conventionalpaper cigarette pack to be retained therein.

lin the preferred embodiment thebox element l() of the case is drawnfrom a single blank of sheet metal, so that it presents a unitaryseamless construction that need not be 1927. semi n0. 205,099.

Preferably the rear upper edge of the case has rearwardly turned hingeloops 12 which alternate with corresponding hinge loops 13 on the rearflange 14 of the flanged cover 15,

a pintle pin 16 through said various hinge loops maintaining the coverin hinged relationiipon the box. The rim of the box is preferablyinturned or indented at its ends and face in order to all'ord a stopflange 17 overlapped iii closed position bythe rim of the flange 14,142, and 143. The ends of the cover flange 14 are preferably notched asat 18 to avoid conflict or clashing between the cover flange and the boxin the opening and closing movement of the cover. The stop flange 17 hasshort extensions 27 at the rear corners of the box, which when the boxis closed will cover the gaps at the edges of the box rim due to notches18. The flanged cover, as will vbe seen, by this construction clearsthe-proln the accompanying drawings in which are f trading ends of thecigarettes, in all open and in the closed position thereof. Anindentation 23 at the forward flange 14 of the cover, maintains thecover normally locked since this indentation snaps over a correspondingindentation 23 on the rim of the box.

I n use, the upper end of the paper wrapper 19 1n which cigarettes arecommonly sold is torn oil" as at 2O and the closed end of the wrapperwith its cigarette contents is inserted through the open end of the caseand pushed down as far as it will go. The interior of. the case havingsubstantially precisely the dimensions' of the wrapper, and presentingno protrusions from end to end, and the cover swinging back through 180without strain on the hinge, the paper wrapper can readily be insertedwithout injury thereto, or to the cigarettes therein and the wrapperwill be frictionally maintained infixed posit-ion within the case, itsclosed, folded, or sealed end 21 bottoniing against the floor of thecase.

For greater facility in the use of my case, it is preferred to providethe paper wrapper of cigarettes as now sold, with a weakened line ofperforations 22 to facilitate tearing off the upper end of the closedwrapper.

By the construction described, the case may be grasped with one hand,and the thumb of the same hand used for flipping open the cover, wherebya cigarette may be readily grasped at its protruding end and removed andthe cover thereupon snapped closed by the indes.' finger of the samehand, by which it had been opened. My case also permits of anotherconvenient method of opening the saine, which is by pressing againstdiagonally opposite corners 24 and 25 of the box. In this action theupper'edge of the box is deformed slightly from rectangular to anoblique parallelogram form so that the forward rim 17 of the box drawsinward away :trom flange 14 of the cover, and the indentation 23 thusrecedes from the cover indentation 23 thereby releasing the lock. Thepressure of the forward edge of the lateral rim of the box against therim ofthe cover flange then causes the latter automatically to snapupward about its hinge to open position.' The box immediately resumesits rectangular forni by reason ofthe resiliency of the thin metal ofwhich it is made.

:in order to maintain the cigarettes in proper condition, I preferablyprovide a humidor pad 26 preferably disposed withinv the cover of thebox, but ir desired, this vpad may be located in the bottom. The pad ispreferably a sheet of absorbent paper, such as blotting paper ofslightly larger dimen sions than the interior ot the cover, so that itmay be frictionally held therein, but it is preferably cemented orpasted in position. rlhe pad is slightly moistened, from time to time,to maintain the cigarettes in proper condition. rlhe humidor pad,moreover, being accessible in the open cover may serve as an addresscard for the owner or for other identiiieation or memorandum purposes(not shown).

As appears best from Fig. 4, the cigarettes while adequately protectedby the case are lrept out of direct contact with metal parts, so thateven when the case is of base metal, no objectionable taste is impartedto the cigarettes. The paper pack and the humidor pad, moreover, serveto a degree for heat insulation of the cigarettes and as padding toprevent mechanical injury thereto when but few cigarettes remain in theease which are apt to be shaken about therein.

TWhile the ease is preferably employed as minera a cigarette containerit may, of course, in appropriate dimensions, be embodied as a containerfor cigars, pipe tobacco, playing cards, visiting cards, medicinetablets, chewing gum, candy or other small articles carried on theperson.

lt will thus be seen that there is herein described an article in whichthe several features of this invention are embodied, and which articlein its action attains the varous objects of the invention and is wellsuited to meet the requirements .of practical use.

. As many changes could be made in the above construction, and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that al1 mattercontained in the above description or shown vin the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. A cigarette case of a unit-ary piece of thindrawn sheet metal and otrectangular cross-section, a cover hinged along the longer side of saidcase and having a snap lock at the opposite side thereof, wherebypressure on diagonally opposite edges of the case will cause the coverto snap open.

2. A rectangular metal case of substantial depth having a flanged cover,hinge loops integral respectively with the rim ot a longer side of thecase and o the corresponding cover flange, a pintle pin therethrough,the cover flange having a notch adjacent the end of said hinged flange,the rim of said box at the hinged corner extending inward slightlybeyond said corner to cover when the cover is shut the gap due to saidnotch.

Signed at Providence in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland this sixth day of July, A. D., 1927.

JHN WILLAM SCHULZE.

